2016 Brunello di Montalcino, Pianrosso, Santa Caterina d'Oro, Riserva, Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona, Tuscany, Italy
Critics reviews
From a single 11.7-ha vineyard at between 240 and 360 m above sea level. Fermentation in stainless-steel and glass-lined concrete tanks. Aged for 36 months in 7.5- to 62-hl Slavonian oak casks, followed by eight months in bottle.
Mid ruby. Quite concentrated and rich but with more tension than the very accessible straight Brunello. Purer fruit too. Succulent and edgy at the same time. Polished, long and already approachable. (WS)
Drink 2021 - 2030
Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com (March 2021)
The Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna di Pianrosso Santa Caterina d'Oro is gorgeous, full stop. It shows incredible Sangiovese purity and sharpness, and you taste the grape as if you are eating berries straight out of the vineyard.
On top of that healthy and bright primary material, the wine layers on elegant aromas of spice, ferrous earth, balsam herb, and red rose potpourri. The aromas meet with seamless integration and segue to ongoing depth and complexity offered to the palate.
This Riserva is somewhat delicate in terms of mouthfeel; however, it is powerful and long, with high alcohol, polished tannins and a silky texture. A hint of sweet cherry mixed with menthol freshness pulls it together.
Drink 2024 - 2050
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (February 2022)
Dark yet wonderfully perfumed, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna di Pianrosso Santa Caterina d'Oro blossoms in the glass to present a bouquet of dried strawberries and roses complemented by hints of blood orange and clove.
It shows the power and grace of a well-muscled dancer as a dense wave of ripe red and black fruits rush across the palate, lifted by bright acidity while leaving a mix of saline minerals and grippy tannins toward the close.
Though structured for the long haul, the 2016 maintains unexpected vibrancy, finishing with hints of plum and almond. This is simply stunning.
Drink 2024 – 2032
Eric Guido, Vinous.com (December 2021)
About this WINE
Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona
Located in the south east of the Montalcino region close to the beautiful medieval village of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, the estate of Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona can trace its roots back to the 17th century. The Ciacci family owned the estate for over a hundred years until the death of Countess Elda Ciacci in 1985.
As the Countess had no children, she left the property to her long standing and well-respected estate manager Giuseppe Bianchini. His hard work and dedication have been continued by his son and daughter, Paolo and Lucia, who have developed the property and wines to their current respected position.
They have a total holding of 220 hectares of the rolling Tuscan hills bordered by the Orcia River which helps moderate the temperature of this hot and dry part of the region. 53 hectares are devoted to the wonderful Sangiovese Grosso grape which produce the Brunello di Montalcino together with small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Brunello di Montalcino
Along with Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino is Tuscany's most famous DOCG and the region's boldest expression of Sangiovese. Located 30 miles south of Siena with the hilltop town of Montalcino as its epicentre, its 2,000 hectares of vines are naturally delimited by the Orcia, Asso and Ombrone valleys. Brunello is the local name for the Sangiovese Grosso clone from which Brunello di Montalcino should be made in purezza (ie 100 percent).
The Brunello di Montalcino DOCG has a whale-like shape: at its head, at 661 metres above sea level on ancient, stony galestro soils facing east and southeast lies the town of Montalcino, where the DOC was founded. As you follow the spine south towards the tail, the vineyards lose altitude – those around Colle Sant'Angelo are at 250 metres – while the soils become richer with iron and clay. Further east, in the shadow of the 1,734 metre Mont'Amiata lies the village of Castelnuovo dell'Abate where the vineyards are strewn with a rich mix of galestro, granitic, volcanic, clay and schist soil types.
Historically, the zone is one of Tuscany's youngest. First praised in 1550 by Leandro Alberti for the quality of its wines, it was Tenuta Il Greppo who bottled the inaugural Brunello di Montalcino in 1888. By 1929, the region had 925 hectares of vines and 1,243 hectares of mixed crops, while in 1932 it was decreed that only those wines made and bottled within the commune could be labelled as Brunello di Montalcino. Since then, the number of producers has risen from 11 in 1960 to 230 in 2006, while over the same period the vineyards have expanded from 1,000 hectares to 12,000. The region earned its DOC in 1966, and was upgraded to DOCG in 1980.
Brunello di Montalcino cannot be released for sale until five years after the harvest, or six years in the case of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. During this time the wines should be aged for at least two years in oak, followed by at least four months in bottle (six months for Riservas); maximum yields are 55 hl/ha.
Rosso di Montalcino is declassified Brunello di Montalcino, released for sale 18 months after the harvest.
Recommended producers: Costanti, Fuligni, Lisini, San Giuseppe, Soldera, Cerbaiona
Sangiovese
A black grape widely grown in Central Italy and the main component of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as well as being the sole permitted grape for the famed Brunello di Montalcino.
It is a high yielding, late ripening grape that performs best on well-drained calcareous soils on south-facing hillsides. For years it was blighted by poor clonal selection and massive overcropping - however since the 1980s the quality of Sangiovese-based wines has rocketed upwards and they are now some of the most sought after in the world.
It produces wines with pronounced tannins and acidity, though not always with great depth of colour, and its character can vary from farmyard/leather nuances through to essence of red cherries and plums. In the 1960s the advent of Super Tuscans saw bottlings of 100% Sangiovese wines, as well as the introduction of Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blends, the most famous being Tignanello.
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Description
From a single 11.7-ha vineyard at between 240 and 360 m above sea level. Fermentation in stainless-steel and glass-lined concrete tanks. Aged for 36 months in 7.5- to 62-hl Slavonian oak casks, followed by eight months in bottle.
Mid ruby. Quite concentrated and rich but with more tension than the very accessible straight Brunello. Purer fruit too. Succulent and edgy at the same time. Polished, long and already approachable. (WS)
Drink 2021 - 2030
Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com (March 2021)
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